Image Credit: Riot Games
I've been playing video games pretty much nonstop ever since I got my first Xbox 360.
Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
Traits are the bread and butter of TFT. No matter what else changes from set to set, there are always traits to stack, mix and match, and optimize. In this article, I’ll rank the 10 best traits in Set 17 from worst to best, so let’s get right in to it!
10. Sniper
Description: Snipers gain Damage Amp, increased against targets farther away.
Honestly, I really love what the Sniper trait does. Bonus Damage Amp is incredibly effective, and it’s good in any situation. But since the Sniper champions aren’t really that strong on their own other than Xayah and Jhin, it’s hard to base a comp around them specifically. Most meta comps only play 2 Snipers, as the other traits they have don’t play well together.
9. Meeple
Description: Meeple attract Meeps that empower Meeple abilities in meepy ways. They also gain bonus Health.
I love the Meeple trait since it has so many fun and strong early game champions, which is perfect for hyper roll comps. It’s good at either the second or third tiers, with the fourth being extremely hard to reach. The third tier is specifically good since it grants the cloning slot on the bench, which does exactly what you’d think it does.
8. Timebreaker
Description: (2) Allies gain 15% Attack Speed. (3) AND When you lose, gain free rerolls. When you win, store XP in a Temporal Core which scales with stage. (4) AND Timebreakers gain an additional 50% Attack Speed.
I really like the Timebreaker trait, but it’s only good at the first tier. While the upgrades at each further tier would be worth going for, the champions aren’t very good overall. None out of Ezreal, Pantheon, Milio, nor Riven are worth using as your main damage-dealer, so having the final tier doesn’t really matter.
7. Rogue
Description: Rogues gain Attack Damage and Ability Power. The first time they fall below 50% health, they slip into shadows. Enemies targeting them are redirected to a nearby unit, preferring Tanks.
Rogue might not be as fun as the Assassin trait of old, but it’s still incredibly strong. It allows its champions to survive much longer in battle despite their generally low health. When playing Rogues, not only do you have a bunch of strong damage-dealers to use, but they’re resilient to tanks since they become untargetable. This lets them slip past the enemy frontline as they re-target and waste time elsewhere.
6. Shepherd
Description: Shepherds summon the Bond of the Stars to aid them in battle.
While playing just the lowest tier of the Shepherd trait is typically all people do, that doesn’t stop it from being ranked highly. Shepherd is great because it gives you an extra troop, allowing your ranged troops more time before they get rushed. At higher tiers this is even more true, even if the highest tier does require an emblem to reach. Shepherd is a great trait and it always will be, as long as it gives extra units.
5. Psionic
Description: Gain Psionic items that can be equipped to any ally.
The Psionic trait gives an extra unique item, so it has to be highly ranked. While the item is randomized between a few options each round, it’s always worth at least checking to see which it is. The best one is the AP item that gives a drone, and it’s particularly good when used on Viktor. But even the other items are worth using. There’s really no way to go wrong on Psionic, but I will say that it’s usually better at the first tier since one extra weapon is so strong by itself.
4. Space Groove
Description: Groovians can enter The Groove. While in it, they gain Attack Speed and Max Health Regen, increased per Groovian on your team.
What I like the most about Space Groove is that it’s simple. Groovians get bonuses while in “The Groove” which stack throughout the round. This makes the Groovians particularly good the further into a round you go, which also synergizes with a handful of augments as well. This is another trait where you can just take any champion with the trait and use them until late game, with any type of damage working well. It’s an incredibly versatile trait that’s super easy to play game after game.
3. Challenger
Description: Your team gains 10% Attack Speed. Challengers gain bonus Attack Speed. When their target dies, Challengers dash to a new target and increase their Attack Speed bonus by 50% for 2.5 seconds.
The Challenger trait is great for several reasons, but the main one is the dash it gives. Challengers like Bel’Veth and Kindred are popular in part because of how quickly they can cross the battlefield to make sure no troop is safe. It helps specifically with clearing out enemy backlines after their frontline is down. As soon as all the tanks and such are out of the way, fighters and ranged troops can easily get to their next target and take them out too. Plus all the general combat bonuses, which are always nice to have.
2. Stargazer – The Serpent
Description: Allies in empowered hexes gain 5% Durability. Stargazers in empowered hexes gain more and poison enemies, repeating a portion of damage dealt as magic damage over 3 seconds.
The Serpent is the most popular Stargazer variant, and I’d have to say that I agree with that. Gaining Durability is nice, but the poison damage (which is basically just bonus damage) is what puts it over the top. Since it’s usually pretty easy to get your whole team within the constellation, you can get a whole team of durable, high-damage dealing fighters. This is particularly good for Stargazers like Talon, Jax, and Nunu, who start on the frontline and need as much Durability as possible. Since this variant of Stargazer is largely considered one of the best, expect it to be highly contested.
1. N.O.V.A.
Description: (2) 6 seconds into combat, N.O.V.A. grant a power surge to allies based on champions. (5) Gain a Striker selector. The chosen N.O.V.A. activates their Strike during the power surge.
The main reason I like the N.O.V.A. trait so much is that they work really well together, so you can go vertical with them. Having all five N.O.V.A. champions is great, as you have an excellent tank (Maokai), a good fighter (Akali), and a top-tier ranged troop (Kindred). It’s a fantastic overall comp. In terms of whose Strike is the best, I’d argue that Caitlyn’s (allies get +20% Attack Speed) and Aatrox’s (allies gain 30% Sunder and Shred) are the best normal ones. The Strike for the emblem-holder is the overall best though, as it gives all allies 10% bonus true damage. N.O.V.A. is the best trait in TFT in terms of consistency and late-game playability.
You must sign in to comment.
Don't have an account? Sign up here!